Mark 12:41-44 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them,

Mark 12:41-44 “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.

1Ch Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness

Matthew 6:31-32 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For …. your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

Malachi 1.8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 1:14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished.

What is helpful in worship services The congregation experienced worship as a vital source of strength for Christian living in that it strengthened family life, provided a sense of fellowship and of growth through the teaching impact of preaching. On the other hand the congregation felt practically no need for relief of guilt through confession of sin and the offering of gifts to God was consistently ranked the least helpful in the whole worship of the church.

Markk 12: And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.

Proportional! Not percentage! I Corinthians 16:2 "On the first day of the week each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income." 2 Corinthians 8:11, "Now finish the work so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it according to your means.

2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Income vs lifestyle Income Percentage giving lifestyle Proportional giving lifestyle

1 Timothy 5:8 "If anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Reasonable provision Pro 21:20 "In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has."

Indulgent provision Luke 12:20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

Piper I don't want to get rich. I don't want to sit on a pile of money. I just want to be able to survive between the ages of sixty-five and eighty-five. And I'd like to be spent for the kingdom. So if I can have a house and have my bills paid and pour my life out for the kingdom, I would be thrilled.

Piper So…make as much as you can, give as much as you can, and save what you need to in order to be a responsible non-borrower. Then do retirement with some minimalistic plan that frees you up for ministry till the day you drop

Reasonable provision What do I need that will allow me to continue to exercise my God-given gifts and have a maximum impact for the kingdom of God until I die, without being so taken up by basic material needs that I cannot do my job for God properly

Deut if the way (to the temple) is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, then you shall turn it into money ---- and go to the place that the LORD your God chooses and spend the money for whatever you desire— oxen or sheep or wine or strong drink, whatever your appetite craves.

Deut And you shall eat there before the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household. And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance with you

The discipline of celebration Here’s one of the most important disciplines of engagement, yet the most overlooked and misunderstood. It is the completion of worship, for it dwells on the greatness of God as shown in his goodness to us. We engage in celebration when we enjoy ourselves, our life, our world, in conjunction with our faith and confidence in God’s greatness, beauty, and goodness.

The discipline of celebration We concentrate on our life and world as God’s work and God’s gift to us. Typically this means we come together with others who know God to eat and drink, sing and dance, and to relate the stories of God’s action for our lives and our people… A healthy faith before God cannot be built and maintained

The discipline of celebration without heartfelt celebration of his greatness and goodness to us even in the midst of our suffering and terror. “There is a time to weep and the time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Eccl. 3.4) It is the discipline of faith to seize the season for what it is, including the season of enjoyment

Three key questions The proportionality question The security question The indulgence question